"The food you eat is making you sick and the agencies that are providing you with guidelines on what to eat are giving dangerous advice with devastating health consequences. You can change that today."

Comments & Feedback...

Thank you for doing videos!! This is awesome … so much easier to grasp a concept by listening to you speak directly to the issue. Am looking forward to all of the upcoming ones. I have been kind of at a plateau these past few months even though I have a goal of 10 more pounds. In fact, for the first time in the 9 months since I started this lifestyle, I actually gained 2 lbs this past month. :( I think it is a culmination of a ‘desk job’, winter and not getting outside and being physically active like I am in the other nine months of the year and will also have to take a serious look at what changes I must have allowed to happen to cause this. It doesn’t seem like I have changed much of anything but I obviously have. Anyway, the bottom line is still that I have lost an unbelievable (for me!) 43 lbs since the beginning of this journey. A year ago I would have been thrilled to think I could lose 20 lbs. Love your new cookbook, too and am hoping it will trigger a long-dormant ‘love’ for cooking. Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do, Dr. Davis! I don’t need to tell you how many thousands of lives you have changed (including mine) and have given hope to for a much healthier and ‘lighter’ life ahead.

I’ve been doing Wheat Belly for two and a half weeks and have not lost anything as of yet. Am I sticking to it 100%? Not yet. Wish I had gone cold turkey but it is difficult to clean out the cabinets and refrigerator. But it is a must going forward. Thank you Dr. Davis for you wonderful books. I am excited about this journey since I have many issues that you’ve covered in the book.

Hi, I have a question.
I “lost” wheat about 4 months ago.
I lost 5kg and it seams like I’m gonna loose more. It’s not good because I’m already tiny, I’m looking like a child. Anyway – I feel good, no weakness, no dizzyness.
Should I be worried?

Martha, my husband also has problems gaining weight, I noticed he was skipping breakfast because he was not hungry, I told him that he was burning fat because he had these long periods without food. He then paid more attention and started eating even when he was not hungry in the morning and he finally gained some weight…:)

This is great Dr. Davis, thank you. I’m one of those who lost weight initially and need to lose more but have stalled at 37 lbs. I need to go at least another 20. I’m trying dairy trick, hope this helps

I only lost 25 and still need to lose 40 more. I have been wheat free since Mar 2012. Still have horrible psoriasis, and have stalled after dropping the first 25 lbs in 3 months. I know I’m dairy sensitive so only eat goat cheese. I have lost the depression though so dealing with the rest seems easier. I probably do not watch the over all carb count enough and I know I need to exercise more. Thank you for everything you have done for all of us with your books.

So you lose the wheat, you don’t lose the weight. You lose the dairy in addition, you don’t lose the weight. You cut down your carbs to 5g/meal, you still don’t lose the weight. You indulge in good fats such as extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil..nada
You cut down sugar to almost 0g/day, still nothing..you check your FT3/T3 levels, they turn out to be at the bottom of the range..so what do you do? You search the web for foods that would slow down metabolism (“goitrogens”) which include walnuts, almonds, spinach, brussels sprouts, brockley, cauliflower..you cut those, still nothing!

Then you somehow find out about losing weight the old fashoin way: count calories! Do not go above (or much higher than) your basal metabolic rate (BMR)…problem solved!

Dr D, that whole “enjoy unlimited” list needs to be revisited in my humble opinion, because it’s not for everyone

Why don’t you read the books by Dr. Jeff Volek or Dr. Steve Phinney? There are several of them and their discussions revolves around individual differences and needs. Dr. Davis has provided the basic guidelines to follow. Drs. Volek and Phinney takes this a step further.

What you may be overlooking is that many people have developed metabolic distortions, take prescription drugs, or have endocrine disruptive conditions that block weight loss. In an upcoming FAQ, I will begin the discussion with these issues. Cutting calories is unsustainable for most and potentially quite destructive and counterproductive.

So if I’m a compulsive overeater eating 5000 calories a day and I am sedentary, I shouldn’t be cutting that down – no matter what foods I’m eating?? I think it’s irresponsible to say NOBODY. Along with cleaning up what I eat, I DEFINITELY need to eat fewer than 5000 calories a day to have success. There’s a difference between moderating something that’s out of control and restricting. I believe in grain free living and eating healthy fats. I just can’t reconcile not being mindful of caloric intake on these plans. Maybe I’m just not getting it.

The very basic premise is 15 carbs per 6 hour period, about 5o carbs total for the day, You count carbs, not calories, especially when you first start. Your food choices should include the healthy, recommended fats, plenty water and also the supplements recommended.

Reading the book will help you to understand these principles and why they exist.

Being diagnosed with celiac 9 years ago, I’ve lost the wheat, barley and rye for sure. If I indulge even a little I get violently ill. However, I also GAINED 30 pounds in the first 3 years on the gluten free diet. Counting calories is a much more sensible overall method to losing weight, regardless of the foods you choose to eat.

The key, Ann, is to NOT eat the stuff passed off to the unwitting as “gluten-free.”

Have you read the Wheat Belly book? I make this very clear: gluten-free foods made with the wrong ingredients can cause modest low-grade intestinal inflammation, dysbiosis, inflammation, and weight gain.

Ann, many doctors give out the advice for celiacs to drop wheat/barley/rye. They will insist that for necessary nutrients you’ll need to keep eating potatoes/rice/corn/and enjoy sweet things. Simply untrue. I didn’t think I had any weight to lose until I read Gary Taubes and stumbled, through an internet search, onto, Dr. William Davis. He speaks in layman’s terms that can be assimilated and understood by those without a medical background. I dropped all those foods, felt lighter than I had in years, and lost down to a size 4 petite. Those also hang on me now, but I’ll never complain. Sweetie, even your feet will shrink, you’ll lose in all the right places.

Thanks so much for all of the wheat belly info. Glad you are now posting videos, I have read and reread your books. My husband is diabetic, and we have tried many different diets/lifestyles over the past 7 years or so, to no avail. Diabetes is a horrible, dreadful disease, that we have not been able to get a handle on. We started a wheat free lifestyle new years day this year. I’ve lost 7 pounds, he has not lost any. All throughout this battle, he has had issues with losing weight. We both feel that if he could just lose some weight, a lot of the symptoms and complications would improve. I’m not sure what we are doing wrong. We don’t really do any other grains, occasionally quinoa or brown rice. Maybe he consumes too much fruit. I find carb counting tedious and difficult. Any suggestions for resources?

Dr. Oz talked about a half cup of whole barley as a way to keep you full. what do you say to that ?
i dont eat barley but i might consider it to keep my hunger under control. i am not overweight but i eat
ALOT of food ! tons and tons of vegetables and and some meat and even a bit of dairy ( cheese and what have you…) everything but grains. and of course NO sugar.
sometimes…. an occasional bite of tamale or a tortilla. but JUST a bite.
i am looking for ways to stay full. i never seem to stay full for long. lol
so ? what about that business of whole barley ? is it ok or not ? i dont want to develop cravings just to stay full.
AND… i dont need to lose any weight. i am small boned and slender….. just want to eat healthy.

The Dr. Oz show is entertainment, and not a source of consistent messages on health. It also has advertisers to pacify. What Memhet Oz MD might personally think seems to be lost in the contradictory tides.

> … about a half cup of whole barley as a way to keep you full. what do you say to that ?

50 grams net carbs. That’s your entire day’s carb budget.

Barley is a gluten-bearing grain.

Modern barley cultivars may be otherwise indistinguishable from wheat, with its spectrum of human health hazards.

Where’s the fat in your diet? Load those veggies with fat, have some fat with your meat or a good sauce full of fat, not carbs. Eat avocados, and snack on some nuts. Stay away from seed and nut oils with the exception of olive oil or coconut oil, have butter or ghee and animal fats instead.

Are you eating organ meats? Our bodies hunger for nutrition, and people often overlook the fact that natural fats from animals, coconuts, avocados, and nuts carry nutrients our bodies need, as do organ meats. They are NOT empty calories, even though we’ve been told for years that fat has no nutritive value–that was wrong information when it comes to natural fats. When we give our bodies the nutrition we need and don’t constantly spike insulin, hunger disappears. On SAD, I needed to eat every two hours or I’d be hungry, cranky, and miserable. Now I often forget to eat lunch–I can go 10 hours or more without eating and without any hunger or discomfort.

Fry up a pound of grass fed liver in some good fat with a little bit of onion, eat your fill, and tell me you’re hungry afterward–I dare you!

3 years ago I was positively diagnosed with celiac sprue through a gene panel, been wheat and gluten free ever since. What brought me to you was a guy named Neal Brootz and he recommended your book. This was about 6 mths. before the test,( every time I had blood work done, my white cell count was elevated) but no real signs of celiac sprue. I had stopped eating this stuff that was right out in the open, bread, crackers, things that said , made with wheat, didn’t know much about the way they hide gluten in foods or medications, so I was still getting sick and the doctors didn’t know why. So the wife got the book and I read it, and reread it, not gonna lie to you, it scared the crap out of me. So we went on a educational trip, boy what a trip it was, to say the least. Here’s my problem, although I have lost 20 pounds and kept it off, I still have a bowling ball sitting above my belt line, doesn’t matter what I do, it won’t go away. So, a friend tells about this thing they call candida ( he’s also celiac sprue positive ) and what causes it, hmm, I’m a sweet freak. Could it be, this is actually what is causing this bowling ball in my stomach ?. They claim probiotics will balance it back out, problem is, I’m very skeptical about something you put in your body in that amount. I still have a fair amount of discomfort in my stomach and would really like to be free of it. Best regards and Thank you for your time and commitment to finding a solution to celiac disease, Stan Plitt

Does “sweet freak” imply that you are still eating sugar-based products?
If so, are any of them using HFCS, or worse, so-called agave nectar?

Glucose is pretty effective at provoking insulin resistance and weight gain/maintenance. Fructose is even more effective, with free fructose (in HFCS and AN) perhaps being the most effective. Sucrose (table sugar, cane sugar) is half glucose & half fructose.

If you’re eating sugar-based or sugar-added products, I don’t see how you could be hitting Wheat Belly net carb targets of 50 grams/day 15 grams/meal or 6-hour period.

In alternative treats news, we just this week tried the Lily’s Sweets brand chocolate bars. They use erythritol and stevia, and are an excellent alternative to milk chocolate, and GF of course. The coconut flavor is a favorite now. Lily’s also makes a superb chocolate drop for cooking (most sugar-free drops on the market are impaired by adverse alt sweeteners).

I’ve tried the coconut bars and they don’t do much for me; however, I *love* the ones with almond. Lily’s gets badmouthed by the chocolate purists because it uses inulin, erithritol and stevia but I love it. While I like 85-90 % chocolate bars I find that the Lily’s bars are different – they are listed as about 55% (IIRC) but they don’t taste like it because the remaining 45% is not sugar.

“So, a friend tells about this thing they call candida ( he’s also celiac sprue positive ) and what causes it, hmm, I’m a sweet freak. Could it be, this is actually what is causing this bowling ball in my stomach ?”

So what you are saying is, basically, starve the candida…. Here’s the deal, I haven’t gained any weight what so ever and my weight has stayed the same for the last 2 years. I can tighten up my stomach muscles like a rock, so I know it’s not FAT. The rest of me is very lean with muscle and no fat, zero , zip, notta… I’m gonna take you up on that 3 mth deal and see what happens. Mean while , I’ll be waiting for the doctors FAQ…..Dr. Davis says:
February 15, 2014 at 4:51 pm
No, sorry, I disagree. NOBODY needs to cut calories.

What you may be overlooking is that many people have developed metabolic distortions, take prescription drugs, or have endocrine disruptive conditions that block weight loss. In an upcoming FAQ, I will begin the discussion with these issues. Cutting calories is unsustainable for most and potentially quite destructive and counterproductive..

Candida albicans feeds on fructose in the mucous lining of the small intestine. It coexists with many harmful species of bacteria. As shown in the above link candida is covered with the protein “hyphal wall protein 1″ (HWP1). Candida uses HWP1 to attach to tissue transglutaminase (TTG) on the surface of the small intestine. The immune system learns to recognize candida via the HWP1 because that’s what touches tissue. The immune system commits the HWP1 pattern and any successful response it comes up with to “innate memory”, so that any time the immune system detects HWP1 it initiates a response. In some people the response could be to attack the intestinal lining. In EVERYONE the sensitized immune system responds to HWP1 by releasing zonulin. Zonulin causes the cells lining the small intestine to part, allowing digestive content into the bloodstream.

So you go along eating fructose with a bad case of digestive candidiasis, and then you eat some wheat. Wheat gluten is also covered with HWP1. The immune system reacts to wheat the same way it reacts to candida. It releases zonulin and attacks tissue. That’s how the majority of people get celiac disease and many other deadly diseases. So yes, you need to stop ingesting sweet tasting foods ……ALL of them.

But your question was about excess weight around your middle. Fructose causes tremendous weight gain regardless of whether or not it grows candida. Watch the link I posted to Dr. Lustig’s seminar.

Hello Dr. Davis
Is hair loss a side effect of low carb?
The last couple months my hair has been falling out a lot. Today I noticed a substancial thinning. I have been doing wb since april 1 2012. I have lost 55 but have platued since christmas.
I eat 15 to 20 carbs a day. I feel wonderful have good energy.
Any suggestions?
Paula

Thanks so much for posting this video, Dr. Davis, and for planning the FAQ series. It’s a great idea and I know it will help. I am new to the Wheat Belly plan, and still transitioning. Weight loss has not yet begun, in fact it’s the opposite for me—I’ve gained. But before this, I was starving on calorie counting and heavy exercise and still not losing, and always without energy or mental clarity. I’m one of the hard cases with the metabolic issues and a history of unsuccessful and strenuous attempts. I’ve been beating on these big giant walls for years, trying to get out this box. And no matter what I’d done for temporary success, it was never sustainable. I knew that, but I didn’t have a choice. it’s always been starve or gain weight. Period.

With the Wheat Belly plan, I am beginning to feel entirely different. I am not ravenous. I am not starving. I have SOME mental clarity and my appetite is slowly coming under control. I’ve taken out the grains, and the sugars. I am working on the carb counting, and if that doesn’t work, then I will try the other options. Sooner or later, and I think sooner, I will turn the corner and the weight loss will begin. It will be fabulous and exciting. I just have to find the right formula and you’ve given me the keys. Thank you.

I’ll be following the videos, and I’m glad you’ve made the time to do them. Your presentation skills make everything very clear and simple. I’m sure I’m not the only one who will be relying on these.

Thank you for posting this. I am gluten intolerant and my son is Celiac. I have gone back and forth for a couple of years now on the yo yo of not eating wheat and then falling off the bandwagon more times than I can count. However I have never waivered from my son’s diet regimen because we almost lost him in 2011 before he was diagnosed with Celiac at 3 years old. I was diagnosed after a bout with H Pylori within months after. When I sat down with the dietician I of course was overwhelmed and was also introduced to all the things that he could have. And guess what? It was, “Don’t eat wheat but eat corn tortillas to your hearts content, sugars are fine, here is a book full of recipes for kids full of other unhealthy things but no wheat.” I was advised to shop the gluten free section for all the latest and “greatest” options. Never was your book recommended to me. So what did I do? I of course went with their advice wandering like a nomad around grocery stores trying to find easy things we could eat as a working mom on the go. I am so thankful for the exposure to your book recently. It has completely changed the way I approach the wheat free diet for my son and for myself. He gained weight and began thriving but now as I look back it was not because of a wonderful diet. I recently had gall bladder surgery and one of the items on my agenda as I was at home recovering was to read your book. What an eye opening experience based on FACTS. I have been following the wheat belly regimen since January 22nd and I cannot tell you how much better I feel. I have no joint pain, no rashes, no bloating, mental fog is lifting, no swelling in my legs and feet like I was having and I know I have lost weight/inches based on how my clothes are loose fitting even have had things on that I have not been able to wear in quite some time. Wheat “belly” is almost non existant. Internally I just feel cleansed. When I do get a craving for wheat of any form I think of the paper mache’ project I was working on with my teenage daughter recently. If wheat flour and water does this, what is it doing to me internally? The craving immediately dissapates. And I don’t run to sugary/high glycemic items as a crutch either. Lastly, I know can provide a better diet for my son than every before. Thank you for shedding light on a subject where there was so much darkness and grey area. You are helping many, including me and my family.

With the success of Wheatbelly is there anyone, anywhere that can make or prepare good healthy Wheatbelly food and sell it to people like me that hasn’t cooked anything in 57 years? I would buy it and live on it.

I am a single man that has been eating tv dinners as a staple of my diet for years and years and years. So the idea of just stop eating them and start making Wheatbelly food seems impossible to me.

Also I weigh 150 lbs and have weighed the same since high school so I don’t think I need to lose weight. But I do love the idea of being able to order pre-made Wheatbelly food (if there is such a term).

Is there any chance anything like this is already available or may be available in the future? I mean nutri something or other sells pre packaged food for their customers. It seems possible to me.

Dr. Davis
I have had the carbohydrate-weight problem for years but never understood it was part of the pre-diabetic condition. My question is: Is pre-diabetes reversable with dietary modifications, exercise, etc? Thank you, your books and writing have been a continuing revelation for me and applying the principles have changed by life in many ways.

Metabolic syndrome and pre-diabetes are completely reversible with diet. Even full diabetes (T2D, mind you) is fully reversible if caught before irreversible side effects have set in, but even after that, it is fully manageable with diet as long as you are producing any insulin at all. Even beyond that, advanced T2D, T1D and LADA are largely manageable with diet (minimum meds). The ADA will not tell you any of this.

> … exercise, etc?

Exercise is great, but not essential. Diet is the elephant in the room.

Hi Dr Davis…I just got back from my family physician and I was told my blood sugar is through the roof! I switched to GF diet last May due to continued digestive problems. Now I am face with high blood sugar. My doctor was so shocked as I am very fit and healthy. She says to cut the carbs. I looked in your book (wheat belly) and I am trying to figure out how much carbs I am suppose to eat everyday. I definitely figure out that the extra carbs came from some of the bread recipes I tried (lots of starch) — So..how much carbs should I target everyday? thanks! :-)

The Wheat Belly recommended breads/muffins mostly use nut flours, seed flours and perhaps a bit of garbanzo bean flour. Of course, these should be eaten in moderation. Check elsewhere for your high glycemic foods.

Wheat causes insulin resistance. Insulin transports blood glucose into muscle cells so that they can burn it for energy. When cells become insulin resistant they stop importing blood glucose. Muscle cells lose energy, and the blood fills with glucose. Whenever possible, mostly during sleep, fat cells absorb the excess glucose, and you start looking like a beached whale.

There are lots of digestive, brain and hormone processes which facilitate this response.

I failed to finish that thought. Other foods, such as beans, can cause insulin resistance. Still other foods, especially *sweet* foods, can increase blood sugar. You can’t simply rely on wheat elimination to get rid of fat. This is all part of the Wheat Belly strategy.

Wow! This is really hitting home for me. My wife had Crohn’s disease for 16 years before she had the surgery. She is also your Wendy, except she went all the way. Had this research been available 10 years ago, most likely would have changed her life. We are moving quickly toward wheat free. I have lost 10 lbs and that’s saying a lot since I’m a truck driver. My wife is still experiencing side effects of Crohn’s and the illeostomy. Joint pains and low vitamin D. I gotta roll now but I’m sure I’ll be back. Thanks.

Dr Davis: I have been wheat free for nine months. I starting weight was 254 pounds and I have weighed 204 pounds for approximately two months now. I’ve had my cholesterol check a few times and my doctors feels like I should be on a medication to help with my high cholesterol. Just curious where I can find some information

Have you read the chapter “My particles are bigger than your particles” in the original Wheat Belly book, Dave? That would be a start.

Then, recognize that:

1) a program to increase expression of Lactobacillus species in bowel flora can reduce values, as well as improve blood sugar and insulin responses; this should include temporary use of a high-potency probiotic, then prebiotic fibers for a lifetime.

2) LDL cholesterol is invalidated by this lifestyle, given the changes in diet and triglyceride-rich liporproteins (I will be discussing this in upcoming blog posts).

3) In my view, decisions such as “need” for statin drugs should never be made on the basis of lipid values, but with advanced lipoprotein values, e.g., NMR.

4) Given the rise in triglycerides, this suggests that weight loss is still ongoing, though at a slower rate, and the flood of fatty acids continues to distort your values.

5) Consider an apoprotein E genotype to see whether you have apo E4.

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